(2-6-25) 2025 Delaware 3A State football champion Middletown High School is under investigation by the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association for possible violations of DIAA player eligibility rules tied to residency.

The DIAA received information that several players on Middletown’s 2024 Class 3A state championship team may not have, as required, actually resided at addresses within the Appoquinimink School District.

Email reply to SSN from Caitlin Finkley–Marketing & Communications Specialist, Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA)

The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) is aware of the concerns regarding the Middletown High School football program. DIAA is actively investigating the matter and will follow our established processes to ensure compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. We will not be providing further comments while the investigation is ongoing.

According to a BVM Sports posting-

By the Numbers

  • Middletown had more new student-athlete transfers than any other school in Delaware for the 2024-25 school year.
  • Recent transfers included players from Seaford and Dover, although not specifically named in the complaint.

AGAIN AND AGAIN

This is not the first time Middletown football has had this situation to deal with in recent years.

March 30, 2022–Delaware Online –

The Middletown High School football team has forfeited its first six wins of the 2021 season after school officials discovered an athlete who was academically ineligible at the time had played in those games.

The athlete became eligible at the end of the school’s first marking period, on Nov. 5, and went on to play in all three playoff games as the Cavaliers won the first DIAA Class 3A football championship.

The school self-reported the violation to the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association

The result- Middletown High School will be allowed to keep its 2021 DIAA Class 3A football championship.

But the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association board of directors voted Thursday to place the school on probation for one year and require quarterly reports to be filed with DIAA to ensure the school is following safeguards put in place to better monitor the academic eligibility of student-athletes.

October 2019–record online.com

Middletown High School has forfeited four Section 9 football games, three in division, for the use of an ineligible player.

The Section 9 Athletic Council confirmed the penalty Monday after Middletown self-reported the violation last week.

The player, who transferred to Middletown, was 19 years old and a fifth-year senior. The reserve player was over the age limit to participate (under 19 by July 1) and had exhausted his four years of eligibility, starting his freshman year at Liberty.